BART directors OK paying more for green power

BAY AREA

BART now has the green light to go green, but the initiative could add an estimated $1.8 million to the rail system's annual power bill.

That's enough money to pay the salary and benefits of an additional 22 workers to clean the trains.

The BART Board of Directors, eager to reduce the agency's carbon footprint, voted unanimously last week to lift the agency's price cap on the purchase of alternative energy. Without that action, BART couldn't afford to buy the more-costly sources of renewable power.

At an average cost of $100 per megawatt hour, alternative energy exceeded the $70-per-megawatt hour price-limit for green power BART had in place, which meant that no wind, wave, thermal or other alternative sources of power were being purchased. A megawatt hour is enough to power about 750 homes for one hour.

"We as a good public agency are committed to the idea of sustainability," said Gail Murray, president of the BART board. "People need to know that there's a cost."

That said, she added, "We do have to be careful with the public's money."

Currently, more than half of BART's power supply comes from hydroelectric power, said agency spokesman Linton Johnson. And while that is considered a renewable source, it falls into a different category from wind, wave, thermal and solar. The price fluctuates, but BART pays an average of $70 per megawatt hour for hydroelectric power and other conventional energy sources.

BART director Tom Radulovich said the green power initiative has several benefits, including allowing BART to diversify its energy portfolio to protect the agency in case there's a big price increase in a particular market, such as fossil-fuel-generated electricity. He said BART's investment also can be used as a catalyst to expand the alternative-energy supply, which eventually may help bring down the price.

And finally, Radulovich said, "We can put our money where our mouth is. The BART board is saying yes to spending a little more money to be green."

The district's power budget for the fiscal year that ends July 1 is $34.7 million - without the new environmental initiative that could cost an additional $1.8 million. BART's total operating budget for the year is $627 million.

BART, which uses 400,000 megawatt hours of electricity a year, is in the top 10 of electricity consumers in Northern California. Powering the trains accounts for about three-quarters of BART's energy usage.

BART has set a goal of deriving at least 20 percent of its energy from alternative renewable sources, such as wind energy and the methane gas belched from landfills, by 2010.

The Northern California Power Agency, which purchases and generates electricity for BART and more than a dozen other public entities, has agreed to supply BART with seven megawatts of renewable energy.

The transit district has the right to reject any individual renewable-energy project offered by the Northern California Power Agency if the cost is too steep. BART officials hope that by getting rid of the price cap, they finally will be able to purchase green energy.

Before adopting the plan, directors discussed whether the additional money needed to buy alternative energy could be put to better use funding projects that would do more to protect the environment. Would the installation of more secure bike parking at the stations lure commuters out of their cars and reduce air pollution? In the end, no definitive answers were offered.

Murray, who recently took over the board presidency, plans to create a sustainability committee to delve deeper into the potential advantages and shortcomings of green policy initiatives at BART.

During the debate on the green power contract, directors shied away from a broader discussion on what BART could do with the money systemwide. One of the biggest gripes of riders is dirty trains and stations. BART officials already added more money to its budget to address the problem, adding 24 cleaning positions to bring the total number to 115.

The money earmarked for purchase of green power would be enough to beef up the cleaning force by another 19 percent.

BART General Manager Dorothy Dugger said the use of funds shouldn't be looked at as an either-or proposition - being good environmental stewards or improving the customers' experience.

"I think we need to make progress on both fronts," she said. "There are multiple ways that we as a public transportation provider can have positive benefits."